The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-13

no" a PiscataquIs County UrchIr
has become Famous.
The Pail Mall cazette's Description
OF a Maine inventor.
Maxim Machine Gun Tried by Glad
stone and the Prince Of Wales.

About 1856 Mr.. d. d. Flint, now living in
Dexter, carried on mechanical and wood
working business in Abbot village, and be-
ing applied to by Mr.. Maxim, new conner
In town, to take his boy into the shop as an
apprentice, agreed to take him in on weeks
| trial.
This may seem strange" says the Dexter
Gazette, in view Of that boys history, for
today he is one Of the famous men of the
world. After he actually began work Mr..
Flint was not slow to find out that he pos
sessed unusual mechanical ability, and had
no notion Of sending him to his father when
the week was out. He continued as his ap-
prentice for four years, and today Mr.. Flint
thinks he learnde the boy something. but he
is quite sure the boy learned him good
deal about the best methods Of doing the
work on which they were engaged"
His father was Isaac Maxim who used to
run the grist mill at Sangerville, himself a
man OF mechanical genius and something Of
an inventor. he lived in Sangerville until
about the time lie took his son to Mr.. Flint's
shop.
When the apprenticeship was over young
HiTam-Hiram ). Maxim Is his name--came
10 Dexter Tor employment He succeeded in
getting job Of wood turning from Mr.. John
Pennington who then operated the old Flan-
ders' shop, now owned by Mr. K. M. Tib-
bets. He continued at work there until the
breaking out OF the rebellion, when he en-
listed In the first company raised here, which
after a few weeks was disbanded.
he then went to- Massachusetts, and
worked nrst at making mathematical instru-
ments, and afterwards in a factory where
gas machines for Illuminating residences
We're We're MADE. HIS experience in a shop Of this
KIND shows the peculiar self reliant charac-
teristics OF the 'boy," for he was not much
more than that then. He soon perfected
machine for Illuminating with gas, which
was very much simpler than the old method,
and consequently was very valuable. This
he exhibited in all confidence to the proprie-
tor OF the shop, who said in moment that it
was just what they had been trying to invent
for years; adding. "Pll get 1t patented"
Ihis would not have alarmed the average
Maxim, who had been studying up the matter
for the fun of it. mo, you WON'T" he re-
piled quickly. 'I'Il get It patented myself"
But you are at work for me and it Is
mine, NINE" said the employer, who saw its great
man, drawing himself up fearlessly, ''but
this is none of yours. It's minel"
Leaving the shop he went.to Boston, found
friends, applied for his patent-his first one,
and had law suit with his former employer
right against all efforts to get it. He had
the nerve Of fighter as well as the brains of
an inventor.
:, The list of his inventions is a long one.
For the frst few years after his first success,
his work, though producing valuable results,
was with matters of small moment, COM
pared with his later work. When the cleo
trio light was introduced he saw the revolu-
ton It would create, and devoted himself to
the study of electric phenomena until he
may be said to have mastered them, for since
then ne has produced may important inven-
tions in connection with their development.
For six years Mr.. Maxim has been in Eng
land, where he has perfected some Of his
most important work. He has been lionized
there, and honored, and the Pail Mall Ga
zette OF March 10 last, prints his picture at
the head of an article which gives some ac-
count OF his life there and his work, ana it
confidently says his name will soon be as fa-
miliar as those of the great inventors, Krupp
and Armstrong.
'His father" says the Pail Mall Gazette.
was grist miller, with a strong sympathy
Tor science and mechanics. MY father was
a philosopher, II ever there was one,' the son
remarks. He had two lathes, to which he
turned when the grist mill was at rest. The
son was deeply interested in mechanics, al
most before he was knee high" to use his
own expression. i had learned to turn
lathe, he told our representative, before
owned jack-knife-in fact, can hardly
remember when could not use lathe At
the age OF eight years he made lathe for
his own use, and soon afterwards he had
started small workshop. He went to the
common school-'never any other'-but in
his part of the world they were acoustic med
TO continue at school for devilish long
tlme-sometimes until they were twenty
one;' and 1t was hard to find pupil that
did not understand algebra Since he was
and technology; and he adds with true mod
esty, have not got through even yet
When he was youth he buried himself
nlgntly IN 'Ure's Dictionary Of Arts and
Sclences'-a reading right through the die
homely chat at his expense. Ali this study
mas porne good fruit. and he does not often
require to resort to the meagre scientific IL
brary, Including Ure's Dictionary which
you observe In his workroom.
Mr.. Maxim came TO this country some six
years ago, ultimatly settling in Dulwich.
where ne occupies an old-fashioned house
standing In the midst of the three-acre en-
closure, beautifully shaded in summer by
nne forest trees. In room facing the Nor
w0od-road Mr.. Maxim spends great deal of
his time in cogitating and developing his
ideas. His hands often bear the mark of
the mechanic. An inquiry as to his habits
elicits the fact that although extremely ab-
stemious and non-smoker he is the strong
est man in the shop bar none,' adds one of
his workmen, who is present. In the draw
ing-room OF the odd old house is newly fn-
lshed bookcase, and pointing 10 the memo
rials OF Dickens therein displayed, he ex-
claims, there have read all that row, but
in the days that are gone-I have no time for
reading of that description new" The
house, Thurlow Lodge, was the residence OF
Lord Thurlow, and from the staircase the
eminent Lord Chancellor, in the wigs and
robes OF his high Office, looks calmly down
into the hall upon the original Maxim ma
chine gun, which two years ago was fired by
the Prince of Wales, Mr.. Gladstone, and
other distinguished Englishmen Of the time
at the rate OF six hundred shots per minutei
Says the inventor: When was boy only
twelve years Of age, my father had an idea
that he could make a machine gun Young
as was L often made drawings of such a
gun for him, and when was only sixteen
constructed wooden model; but we never
could raise sufficient money to make it in
steel. My fathers gun was similar in de-
vice to the machine guns which held the
field prior to the appearance Of my Maxim
gum"
THE STATE.